


Cyclonic

by floof



Series: Sastiel Love Week 2020 Fics [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: (not main characters), AU, M/M, Pre-Slash, Present Tense, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23527570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floof/pseuds/floof
Summary: Ordinary human Sam is out jogging one day when a man falls from the sky.For the prompt: AU, Sastiel Love Week 2020
Relationships: Castiel/Sam Winchester
Series: Sastiel Love Week 2020 Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1691722
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18
Collections: Sastiel Love Week 2020





	Cyclonic

**Author's Note:**

> If you want detailed content warnings, zoom to the end notes
> 
> As always, thank you Star for the beta. You really are the best.

There's nothing quite like a good run. The wind flowing through his hair, the pumping of his heart, even the sweat running down his skin – it's healing to Sam. When he runs, he doesn't have to think about his problems.

They don't exist. It's just him, and the trail beneath his feet.

He doesn't have to think about which dead end job he's going to apply to next, now that he's been fired again. He doesn't have to lament having a dead end job in the first place. 

Dean needed him, when their father died nearly five years ago. Dean still needs him, and that's okay. 

Sam needed Dean to, even if the words he'd last spoken to his father had been in anger. So what if Sam hadn't wanted to be a mechanic, or join the marines. He would've thought going to school to become a lawyer and help people was something to be proud of.

Sam's problems are being stubborn today. So he runs harder, feet against the ground and arms pumping in the air.

Sam wishes he could tell his father it's alright, he understands now. Dad thought Sam was ashamed of him, ashamed of them – of the way he was raised up until his last year of high school. Drifting from town to town to find work, then leaving when Dad drank through most of their money.

Maybe Sam will always lament the childhood he didn't have, but he understands now.

Grief can do that to a person. Sam just wants to make sure Dean doesn't follow Dad's path. 

He hasn't quite succeeded. Not yet. But Dean tries harder than Dad ever did, so Sam forgives him. 

It's been five days since Dean last took a drink. The record is ten. 

Air rushes through his lungs in a deep sigh as he comes to a stop by a bench, and lowers himself into it. Seems even running can't help Sam's mood today. Taking a rag from his pocket, he wipes sweat from his brow, and lays back against the bench to enjoy the cool spring morning.

It will warm up soon enough. He tells himself he can have five minutes, then he needs to get up and finish his run.

Those five minutes are quickly forgotten. As is the run, because when Sam looks up at the sky, he sees a bright ball of white hot light, streaked with blue, descending rapidly. 

A meteor? Sam blinks stupidly up at it before filling with alarm. It's getting closer and closer, but before Sam can even scramble to his feet he's struck by the absurdity of it all.

That's no meteor – it almost looks like... a person?

Whatever it is, the light is far too bright now. All Sam can do is shove the back of his wrist against his eyes and gasp in in alarm as it hits.

To think, he thought he had problems. Now he's going to die, worse than that, Sam's body is sure to be obliterated.

Sam spares a moment to think of Dean, to pray that his big brother won't fall deeper into a bottle without him. That he won't think Sam took off, like Dean's drunkenly admitted fearing in the past.

He's ready for death, as much as any one can be. But there's no pain, only a loud crash. White light sneaks behind his wrist, and Sam goes blind for several minutes.

Blind, but alive. Confused but not unhappy about this, he blinks away the stars behind his eyes, but doesn't lower his arm. It doesn't feel safe.

Then, all of a sudden, it does. There's a hand on his wrist, lowering it down, followed by two fingers on his brow. Sam still can't see straight at first, until slowly, someone comes into view.

A man, shorter than himself, and this close up Sam can make out how blue his eyes are. There's a charming bit of stubble on his face, and his hair sticks up adorably. He's scruffy, but Sam finds himself liking it.

“I've healed what damage I caused.” The man steps back then, and tilts his head at Sam. Studies him, eyes going wide as if something just occurred to him. “You think I'm attractive.”

“It's rude to read peoples minds.” Sam looks away, takes a deep breath. Not that he'd know. He's normal. 

One hundred percent human.

“You are not, and you know it. You have nightmares when you try to sleep, so you try not to sleep until you are exhausted. You dream of people dying, and try not to discover if it is true.” 

“I get it, okay? I'm a coward.”

“I never said that.” The man looks him up and down. “Your prayers are loud. Thank you for them. It's because of that, that I know what I must do.”

“Uh...” Sam's not sure what to make of this guy. Turning to look behind him, he blinks in surprise. There's a crater around him, around them; and trees lay snapped off at their bases every which way. 

Yet, Sam and the bench are fine. The man is fine as well, if ruffled.

“You fell from the sky.” Way to go Sam! Batting a thousand, today.

“Yes.” The man winces. “I did fall.”

“...You're not human either, are you?”

“Sam, you are human.” The man pauses, offers a small shrug. “Mostly. But yes, you are correct. My name is Castiel. I'm an Angel of the Lord.”

“What.” _What?_

“I am an Angel of the Lord. “ Castiel blinks, seemingly annoyed at having to repeat himself. “You pray to him, and to us, every night. You have faithfully for years, despite the hardships in your life. That's why I cannot let what they want to come to pass to come to pass.”

_What?_

“You keep thinking that, and it is very distracting. I thought you were intelligent, but perhaps I was mistaken.”

“I thought I told you it's rude to read peoples minds.”

“You did.” Castiel nods his head at that, admitting it, though he doesn't seem to be bothered. “But I don't have time to care about that. I... because for the longest time, I have been the only one to listen to your prayers, I'm attuned to your thoughts. I don't know if I can block you out, but I will try.”

“And you... fell to Earth, to help me?” Sam's day just keeps getting weirder and weirder. He wonders what it says about him that he's not questioning this more. “Why me? I – yeah I've been dealt a bad hand, but who hasn't?”

Dead mom. Drunk dad. Weird physic powers or whatever. Followed by; dead dad. Drunk brother. 

But compared to most, Sam's practically in heaven. He's still got that brother, at least. 

“Sam.” Castiel offers his hand. “I will answer your questions, and more, but it is precisely because of your brother that I am here.”

Oh. That makes more sense. An angel, wanting to help him? Sam might pray, but he's not stupid.

“Samuel Winchester!” Castiel grabs Sam by the arm, and pulls him to his feet. “I won't hear that kind of talk.”

“Technically I didn't talk at all, and I asked you to stop reading my mind, so-”

“I am here because you are loyal, because you believe. Because you don't deserve what will happen to you and your brother if we don't stop your brother from doing something stupid, right now!”

Dean. That's right, the angel is here to help Dean. Sam will deal with how well he's taking all of this, and how it should alarm him, later. He can shove through anything for his brother.

A nod, for himself. Another, firmer nod to Castiel. Wait. Dean's going to do something stupid? Dean's in _danger_?

“Neither you nor your brother deserves hell, and yet, if someone believes they belong there... My father forgives those who take their own life, when their spirit is broken, when their mind is so ill it effects their soul; but. If they believe they deserve hell for taking that step...”

Dean always crashes hard after being clean for awhile. It makes sense to Sam. He's not even mad, or surprised.

He is, however, more than a little bit scared. 

It's not the first time something like this has happened. To either of them. But it's always hard.

When you grow up seeing people die in your dreams, your mind goes to dark places. Sometimes you just want it all to end.

Dean's always been there for him when Sam gave up, wanted it to end. He pulls away from Castiel, starts to turn to run back home. Castiel takes his hand instead, and smiles at him.

“I may not have much power left, but I can take us there.” Castiel licks his lips, tilts his head once more. “And when we've stopped your brother... maybe... maybe we can see where this goes? I... it was I who comforted you, for a time. Though you couldn't see me...”

“The ball of light...” An old memory comes to Sam then. When the nightmares briefly stopped. It was only a week of bliss, of uninterrupted sleep, but it was one of the best weeks of Sam's short sad little life.

“I suppose your mind must have seen me that way.” Castiel laughs, before his eyes turn serious. “They punished me for that. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to break through it and get back to you.”

There's more Sam wants to say, wants to hear. Like this nebulous 'They' he keeps hearing about. But Castiel shakes his head.

“Later. We have to save your brother.”

Then they're gone in a rush of wings, and Sam's racing to shove the bottle of pills out of Dean's hand. Glass surrounds him and his brother, the smell of alcohol thick in the air.

Later. Right.

Sam's arms wrap tight around Dean as he cries, as he pleads with Sam to let him end it all, Dean's so tired. Sam doesn't let go. Dean would do the same for him, and has in the past. They're all each other has... but maybe not anymore?

He catches Castiel's eyes again, offering him a small smile.

They have later. Later, they can 'see where this goes'. Later, Castiel can tell him all about whatever, whomever is hunting him, hurting him. 

Sam can finally thank his long lost protector for what he's done in the past. For what he's doing now.

Castiel smiles back at him. Nods himself, and turns pitying eyes at the sobbing brother in Sam's arms. Sam finds himself squeezing Dean tighter.

He almost lost him for good this time... but that's a thought for later. 

Later, later, later. Sometimes Sam gets so tired of later. But he has to live with it for now. There's so much happening and it's all so confusing. 

But not all of it is bad.

He's got Dean, tragedy averted for now. As he looks over at Castiel, eyes trailing up and down his form, he allows himself a private little grin.

For once, Sam's looking forward to later.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay Dean attempts suicide but Sam and Cas get there in time to stop him, and Sam alludes to having attempted it himself in the past. There's also talk of going to hell if you commit suicide, if you find that kind of thing triggering, which I totally understand if you do.
> 
> For what it's worth Cas says that's not true, because fuck it my fic.
> 
> Everyone is okay tho! Super mentally fucked up and having an apocalypse to stop while not being trained hunters, so maybe not so okay, but OKAY!
> 
> Mmmm this is one of those ones that probably needs like, 10k-25k to really actualize the world they're in, but I wanted to keep this week shorter, so have this snippet of their lives. I'm not sure it's au enough, but what can ya do?
> 
> Thanks guys!


End file.
